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Portuguese Laurel (Prunus lusitanica)

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About Portuguese Laurel

An incredibly robust, compact evergreen, providing year-round interest and privacy, tolerant of wind, shade and drought.

Portuguese Laurel, with its dense, spreading habit and resilient nature makes an elegant, formal hedge.

Glossy, elliptic, 8-10cm deep green, leaves, borne from striking, plum-red coloured stems, provide the perfect backdrop to the vibrant green new growth in spring. These are joined in early summer by racemes to 25cm in length bearing scented, cup-shaped, creamy-white flowers. Decorative, slightly pointed red fruits follow in autumn, ripening to dark purple.

Suitable for any well-drained soil, Portuguese Laurel thrives in drier, more challenging conditions than Cherry Laurel. It performs equally well in full sun or deep shade and is ideal for exposed sites.

Highly versatile, its compact habit makes for a highly effective privacy screen, impenetrable boundary or windbreak. Ideal for more formal planting, it responds particularly well to clipping, making it an ideal candidate for topiary.

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